A 6-year-old boy was fighting for his life Wednesday after being struck by a stray bullet while watching Fourth of July fireworks with his family in South Los Angeles.
The shooting was reported at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday in the 700 block of East 40th Place, according to Los Angeles police Officer Rosario Cervantes.
Neighbors told reporters at the scene that the boy’s family was holding a Fourth of July party, and the boy and other relatives were watching fireworks when the boy suddenly collapsed after being struck by something that fell from the air.
Cervantes said the boy’s mother started to drive him to a hospital but then flagged down police officers, who summoned paramedics. Police ultimately determined the boy had been struck in the head or upper body by a stray bullet.
Gunfire is a common problem during Fourth of July celebrations, during which people often fire weapons into the air, despite regular warnings from authorities about the dangers of falling bullets.
There was no suspect information, she said.
The family identified the boy to reporters as 6-year-old Bryan Ivan Robles Jr.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho released a statement saying, “Our school community is heartbroken to learn that one of our youngest children, an elementary student, was struck by a stray bullet on the Fourth of July. What does freedom truly mean to us if it has been interpreted to allow rampant gun violence instead of our founding father’s ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?”